IntelBrief: Tensions Along Lebanese Border a Microcosm of Regional Flashpoints

Bottom Line Up Front

• Tensions continue to rise along the Lebanese border, centered around the town of Ghajar, a disputed area that straddles Lebanon and Syrian territory captured and occupied by Israel in 1967.
• What seems to be unfolding as a controlled escalation, deterring all sides from a more intense conflagration, could give way to all-out conflict, a situation most of the belligerents would like to avoid.
• The confluence of disputed territory between Lebanon, Syria, and Israel is yet another flashpoint in what could become a multi-front conflict for Israel, which has been battling Palestinian militants in the West Bank and Gaza.
• Many of the militant groups in the region are backed by Iran, which continues to fight a shadow war with Israel, unfolding in different ways, including Israeli attacks against Iranian interests in Syria.